Carinthia appoints new members of forum on minority issues
Klagenfurt, 1 August - The government of the Austrian federal state of Carinthia unanimously endorsed on Tuesday the new members of its 21-strong forum for dialogue, a body dedicated to matters regarding the Slovenian ethnic minority. The community's umbrella organisations would like the forum to hold more sessions.
Globasnitz
Carinthia Governor Peter Kaiser.
Photo: Katja Kodba/STA
File photo
The members have been appointed for a five-year term under a proposal by Carinthia Governor Peter Kaiser, who remains the chair of the forum until 2028.
The minority's umbrella organisations will be represented by Manuel Jug, head of the Association of Slovenian Organisations (ZSO), Bernard Sadovnik, head of the Community of Carinthian Slovenians (SKS), and by Valentin Inzko, head of the National Council of Carinthian Slovenians (NSKS).
Another member of the forum will be Gabriel Hribar, leader of the United List (EL), the political party of Carinthian Slovenians, the Austrian public broadcaster ORF reported.
Established in April 2011, the forum features representatives of the regional government, of the parties represented in Carinthia's parliament, of minority organisations, and six mayors from the areas of Völkermarkt, Klagenfurt, Villach, and Hermagor-Pressegger See.
The minority's umbrella organisations do not consider the new line-up to be controversial, but they would like to see the number of the forum's sessions increase. The criticism that the members include political party representatives with hostile attitudes towards the minority is misplaced, Sadovnik said.